A time such as this with the repeated violence around schools in our country and elsewhere in the world, I cling to gratitude even more. I just finished walking my dog through our neighborhood before I get ready to speak to a group of parents with Sue DeCaro this evening about conscious parenting. I felt so much joy earlier today when I left the gym that I have a body that is well enough to be able to exercise at a moment’s notice, joy and gratitude for my deep loving relationships I have built with my husband and my children, and gratitude and joy for the work I do and the very special friendships I have formed as a result of that work. But all of this gratitude and joy very often leads to excitement which is a very close neighbor to overwhelm, so while I walked my dog I tried to bring myself back down to earth, to get grounded and to find peace again. I smelled the pine trees as I walked by, I felt the warm sun on my face,  and I heard the joyful sounds of laughter from the children who are playing on the playground at recess at our elementary school. I was filled with deep, inexpressible gratitude for those beautiful children on that playground, for their health and vitality and for their happiness and joy on this beautiful fall afternoon.

What I know is that there is so much joy around us, there is so much available to us if we just choose to look for it. It is true that there is so much suffering and pain and grief in our world, but we can begin to heal that pain by finding things to be grateful for everywhere we look.

What can you find to be grateful for today?